Page 16 of His Everything
“We’ll discuss you drinking while well underage,” Dad says my way before turning to Jessa with an even darker look. “You however need to explain right now why you would give Lucy alcohol knowing that she didn’t want to drink, young lady.”
“I wanted her to have fun and loosen up. She was always so serious, and I thought she should live a little. I didn’t know her dad was that bad,” Jessa added, her face at least showing a bit of remorse. “If I had, I’d never have done it.”
“I think you owe Lucy an apology, a real one and not the line you gave her when she confronted you about it three years ago,”I add not caring if it gets her in deeper trouble. Lucy’s mine to protect, even when it comes to something that happened years ago.
“I am sorry. I just thought you’d go to college and waste away in some musty library, but if you saw that there’s a world out there to live and enjoy that maybe you’d find some joy in it,” Jessa tells her and for the first time I can see the friendship they had and what it meant to her in her eyes, hear it in her voice.
“Thank you and I know you were trying to help in your own way, and in a roundabout way it did. Having Liam…changed my whole life and it was for the better. No matter how much it required me to work to cover things for us, from the moment he was here, I felt loved and needed. He was the best birthday present I could ever receive,” Lucy says, leaning her head against my shoulder and I drop a quick kiss to her lips before going to grab the photo books she had made up for my parents.
“If you have any doubts about that, it’s all in here,” I add to Mom, setting the four books on her lap which makes her jaw drop a bit. “The first three are basically all Liam, the last one’s our wedding.”
“You look so gorgeous,” Mom gushes opening the first one finding one of the only pictures of Lucy pregnant with Liam she has in the front. She and Dad look through all of them, and even Jessa sighs at the photos from the wedding. “I wish we’d been there but at least I know one of my kids will marry, since you already have, and given us Liam. Any plans for more?” she sneaks in, and I kiss Lucy’s bright cheek, holding her closer.
“Maybe in a few years. Right now, we want a little more time together with just us and Liam. Add in school, Lucy’s job offer from the university when she graduates, and me having a few more years before I’ll graduate, we’ve put a pause on those plans.”
“At least we have Christmas to spoil this one, and enough time to shop for present still,” Mom adds gleefully making me chuckle at the look on Lucy’s face. “You’re staying with us, aren’t you? You can always use the in-law suite in the basement. Your dad could go to the store and get a toddler bed if we need one. The door to the rest of the house locks so you won’t have to worry about him going anywhere. Claire, you and Kenneth can stay in our guest room down here to be closer if you’d like.”
“What do you think, baby? It might be good to have a locked door, so someone doesn’t try to sneak off in the mornings.”
“He’s an early riser like his daddy,” Lucy tells Mom making her laugh, her eyes twinkling my way like it’s a punishment for me being a morning person. “It would be nice to be with family instead of in the hotel. Wouldn’t it, Mom?” she adds to Claire who looks like she’s about to cry with the name still.
“We’d love to, but don’t run anywhere. We bought a traveling toddler bed. Liam’s used it to nap on at our place so it wouldn’t be a rough transition for the trip,” Claire states, and that night, it’s a lifesaver. He’s out like a champ, giving me an extra hour with his mama, savoring our first Christmas as a family. I can’t wait for more. So many more.
Epilogue
Lucy
Isneak into the house without Liam and Jayden seeing me, setting up the surprise I’ve been dying to spill for the last three days. I hate it when Jayden isn’t home. It’s only happened three times in the past three years that he wasn’t home with us, twice in the last five months although all three times was because he was on a business trip with Kenneth.
I’m still a bit in shock that my husband is now working with Kenneth, learning his business to take over one day since Patrick, Bryant, and Tiffany have absolutely no interest in it. Jayden graduated this past May, a year early thanks to adding in classes during the summer as well as taking some online during the winter break. I miss him not being on campus, but I love that he’s found something he’s passionate about—well, beyond me and Liam.
Come this May, he’ll have more to be passionate about while our house is going to be a bit more crowded. More so than what Jayden’s expecting right now even.
I had my doctor’s appointment three days ago and wanted to tell him immediately what the ultrasound showed, but I wantedhim here in person to learn it more, so I’ve been dying for him to get home. It shouldn’t have surprised me to get the message from my mom that the boys were home, and Jayden picked Liam up from kindergarten, so I didn’t need to stop by their place before coming home. They’ve been gone a week, originally weren’t supposed to be back until late this week, so I’m so happy they’re home early.
Thankfully my boys are in our tiny little backyard letting me sneak in and up here to get the surprise ready. I love the brownstone that we found last year. We weren’t looking but one day, I was out with Mom, saw it with the for sale sign in the front as we were driving past, and I loved it. I was certain we couldn’t afford it, not even with my job at the university. Kenneth stepped in, offering us the cash to buy it, and when we refused, offered to make it a loan that we could repay once Jayden started working for him. We couldn’t argue with that, and now, we’re in an amazing house that we love, and in seven months, we’ll have two little babies to add to it.
I know Jayden hurried them to get home today because tomorrow’s our anniversary and he didn’t want to spend it apart, so this will be a welcome home and early anniversary present all in one.
I finish setting up the surprise before heading back downstairs to meet my boys. Not that Jayden’s much of a boy anymore. He may only be twenty-two, but he’s all man and I love him more and more every day.
Liam’s getting so big that a new baby is absolutely the perfect addition to our family, let alone two. Our moms are going to be so thrilled. They’ve been itching for another grandbaby and honestly this has to be the perfect way to do it because now they won’t argue over who gets to hold the baby first.
“And what do we have here?” I ask, sneaking up on them, pulling a giggle from Liam that is unmatched with its sweetness.
“You’re home early,” Jayden says, pulling me onto his lap, his hand going immediately onto my belly as his eyes brighten. “How are you and baby two doing?”
“Good, no morning sickness today even,” I add because it was bad there for a bit.
“Then I’d say that earns you the choice of what we do for dinner,” he states making me laugh because he always gives into what Liam, or I, want.
“I’ve been craving a grilled chicken oriental salad. We could do just grilled chicken for you all if you don’t want the salad,” I add because my cravings shouldn’t dictate what they have to eat.
“Could Dad and I do noodles with it?” Liam asks, perking up entirely. He knows I’d make noodles even though I’m not a fan of peppers on a normal day, add in being pregnant and already dealing with some heartburn, I definitely can’t do it, but he and his daddy love chicken stir fry with all of the veggies and peppers and onions.
“Of course you can,” I tell him, dropping a kiss onto the top of his head. “I think we have everything to make them, but I can check the fridge.”
“If you want homemade I’ll grill up the chicken, or I can call over and get both from Cheng’s,” Jayden offers and the grins on our faces tell him everything. He drops a quick kiss on my lips before getting up, gently putting me down on my feet as his eyes tell me precisely what we’re going to do tonight. “Let me go change and then I’ll call in the order.”